Perfect
by W5Lex
Summary: Alesha has been attacked and Matt steps in to look after her
1. Chapter 1

**I have actually finished the whole of this fic, but I will be posting a chapter a day. Also, this totally ignores the rape.**

Matt weaved in and out of the traffic, pushing the speed limit in an attempt to get there quicker. He parked up and ran towards the hospital entrance. He knew he shouldn't be this worried; the nurse had said she was going to be okay, but he couldn't help it. The thought of someone hurting her, well it didn't bear thinking about.

He slammed into the desk at reception, attracting the attention of some of the staff. He took no notice and quickly asked where Alesha would be.

'If you'd like to take a seat someone will be out to get you in just a minute.' The well rehearsed line did nothing to calm him down but Matt reluctantly did as she said, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out all the background noise.

He looked up expectantly when he heard someone approach. The Crocs in front of him had told him it was a nurse, that was what a lot of them wore. Matt jumped to his feet.

'If you'd like to come with me and I'll explain on the way.' Matt walked alongside her as she explained. It frustrated him that her words and her walk were so calm, so slow. If he knew where to go, he would be sprinting down the hallways as fast as his legs would carry him.

He was right though, he was being irrational. As slow as she was, the nurse eventually managed to calm him slightly. Alesha was going to be okay. She said that she would look a lot worse than she really is, there were a lot of superficial wounds, not helped by the fact that she had refused to let anyone clean her up, but no lasting damage she assured him. Matt breathed a sigh of relief.

'What happened to her?' Matt realised he still didn't know. There was an awkward silence before the nurse swivelled to face him. They stood face to face at the side of the hallway.

'Oh, I'm sorry, I thought that someone had already explained. Alesha was attacked,' Matt felt his heart quicken and the nurse spoke quicker now as she saw his eyes harden, 'Alesha is a lawyer, correct?' She didn't wait for the answer, 'The police said that the attackers were friends of someone that her division had prosecuted. I understand that they have arrested the people responsible though, they've probably charged them by now.'

Matt's hands rolled into fists and he felt his whole body clench. The nurse continued and began to walk again in the direction of Alesha's room, 'You were her emergency contact but if there's anyone else that should be here, please do call them.' As much as Matt wanted to run in the opposite direction, run out of the hospital and towards the station were the attackers would be, he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to leave her, and there was nothing he could do now anyway, nothing he could do but be with her.

Matt finally registered what the woman had said. _You were her emergency contact _he repeated to himself. That puzzled him and he made a mental note to ask her about that later.

'She didn't actually want to call anyone but she wouldn't be able to go home without a support network and staying over night didn't please her. Anyway, she's refused all offers of sedation and we only just managed to get her into a gown for the x-rays. She's been here a couple of hours. We would have called you earlier but she's stubborn.'

Matt smiled slightly at that. Same old Alesha. They finally reached the room and the nurse left him in front of the closed door, 'Let me know if you need anything else.'

Matt nodded and took a deep breath as he pushed the door open. Alesha's eyes fluttered open and he offered the best smile he could. She really did look terrible though. She was covered in bruises, clear even on top of her dark skin. Her hair was a tangled mess and Matt thought he could see patches of blood amongst it. It was clear she'd been crying and the tears flowed again at the sight of Matt.

He rushed to her side, perching on the edge of the bed and she wrapped her arms around him tight, ignoring the pain. Matt closed his eyes and rested his chin on her head as gently as he could. He slid his arms around her back, though he was barely touching her for fear of resting in the wrong spot.

They stayed like that for a while, though neither was sure of exactly how much time had passed. Matt pulled away and took her shoulders gently to push her back so that they were looking into each others eyes. He swiftly wiped away a tear he hadn't noticed escape until now and spoke, 'I'm gonna go talk to a nurse quickly kay? I'll only be a minute.'

She nodded but Matt noticed the tears still filling her eyes and again made an attempt at a smile.

He went out into the hallway and spotted the nurse that had talked to him earlier, 'Am I okay to take her home?'

'Yes of course, if you'd just like to wait her for a moment whilst I go and get the paperwork.'

Matt realised this may take more than a minute and popped his head around Alesha's door again, 'I'm just going to fill out your discharge forms and then we can go home, okay.' It wasn't a question but Matt was encouraged by the minute smile that appeared on her face, still dominated by the tears.

He went back and leant against the nurses station, it didn't take long for the woman to return. She told him where to sign and then held up a bottle of pills, 'She's refused to take anything so far but she really would feel better if you could persuade her to take some of these, two every 6 hours.' He nodded. 'She's going to need a lot of help over the next few days, are you or someone else available to stay with her for that time?'

'Yeah…' His voice was hoarse, 'Yeah, I'll stay with her.'

'Okay then I think that's it, you can take her home. If she has any more trouble or develops any more symptoms, please don't hesitate to bring her in for another assessment.'

Matt nodded, thanked the woman and headed back towards the room. He'd been gone about five minutes.

He did his best to sound light and realised he actually was feeling a lot better. Physically, Alesha was just about okay. He sat back down, he wanted to ask her a couple of things before they left, 'How do you feel?'

Alesha was staring at the floor, he needed to see her eyes. Matt reached out and delicately lifted her chin, lowering his own head until their eyes were level.

'How do you feel?' he asked again simply, knowing she couldn't lie to him now he could see them.

'Okay, I think I'm okay,' she sounded croaky but he could see the honesty.

'I wanted to ask you something,' he paused and went on, 'the nurse, she said I was listed as your emergency contact.' He didn't need to ask the question, Alesha knew what he meant.

'Yeah, sorry about that. You just seemed the most sensible option. I can't stand to have my Mum hovering and fussing and James, well, I dunno, you just seemed like you'd be better in this kind of situation.' She wasn't sure why, his presence was just more reassuring.

Matt smiled, satisfied with the answer. He revelled in hearing he was so important to her.

There was a short pause as Matt thought about how to say this, he knew she'd be resistant, 'Okay, so… you're gonna have to come stay with me for a bit-'

She cut him off as soon as he'd finished the sentence, apparently finding a sudden burst of energy, 'No, no way.' Somehow her voice sounded unconvincing. He suspected that she did want him there, she looked shaken, she was just embarrassed to admit it. He was happy to let her think she was fooling him.

'Look, you have three options, you can come to mine, you can stay here until they'll let you go home on your own, or I can come and stay at yours. I thought mine would probably be easier, I'll be the one doing all the cooking and stuff and your place has that awkward step.'

He watched and couldn't help but smile in amusement as she pretended to rack her brain trying to find something that would change his mind to no avail, 'Fine!' He knew she wasn't really angry with him and she sensed that maybe her words hadn't come out as she intended them to, 'Are you sure though? Won't I get in the way?'

'Don't be daft. It'll be fun.'

'Thank you, really.' There was nothing but sincerity in her voice now.

'One more thing, do you want me to call anyone, your Mum, James, anyone else from work?'

She shook her head but winced, her whole body was stiff and tense. 'No, I'll call my Mum in a few days, when I can cope with her constant prodding.' Matt really thought she should call her but he knew Alesha too well to think that his encouragement would change her decision.

'You know that James will probably know by tomorrow morning anyway. The police will call him and Ronnie may well hear it at the station.'

She sighed, 'We can deal with that tomorrow.' Matt pressed his lips into a line to stop the involuntary smile that would have otherwise appeared as she referred to them as a _we._

'In that case, let's get going.'

Matt wheeled the wheelchair that had been left in the corner of the room over and helped Alesha as she struggled into it. She really was going to need a lot of help.


	2. Chapter 2

The crossed the car park to Matt's shiny car. Alesha noticed that the colour matched his eyes. She didn't normally see this car; he and Ronnie used a squad car most of the time. It was dark outside and the fresh air cleared her head and felt nice against her skin.

Once they'd stopped Alesha realised that the colour matched his top as well. She hadn't been paying enough attention to look him over earlier but she realised he didn't look as slick as he normally did. She quite liked the rough look on him though and she couldn't blame him. It couldn't have been before nine that the hospital had called him, he would have settled in for a night of TV.

He was wearing a pair of high tops with grey trackie bottoms, a v-neck blue knit jumper and a military style khaki jacket. His hair was dishevelled, pointing in all directions, that was the most unfamiliar part, but his eyes were the same as always, glistening. Alesha had always fancied him; he was handsome. In fact, she thought that they would probably have been more than friends if they didn't work together. They'd made a kind of non-verbal agreement not to start anything.

He opened the door and helped her into the passenger side, this was even more awkward than it had been trying to get her into the chair. Without a word, he wheeled the chair back to the main building and returned a minute later, sliding into the driver seat without a pause.

He looked at her, 'Right, I s'pose we should stop at yours and get you some stuff on the way.' He nodded in agreement with himself and started the engine.

Matt knew she was tired so he put on a CD quietly, Coldplay, quite relaxing; it could have been a lot worse.

Alesha felt her eyes get heavy as the music and the soft purr of the engine willed her to go to sleep. She forced her eyes open again whenever they got close. She was already moving in with Matt, for a while at least, and she didn't want to make things any harder for him than they already were. The least she could do was to stay awake.

He pulled into a space outside her block with one smooth manoeuvre and turned to look at her again, 'You stay here, gimme your keys and tell me what you need. We can come back tomorrow if you've forgotten anything.'

She slowly searched her pocket for the key, the pressure it was putting on her hand hurt but she managed it. 'Umm, there's a bag of toiletries in the cabinet above the sink and my toothbrush is in a mug. Then just any underwear you can find and whatever clothes are on top in the drawers in my bedroom.' Normally the idea of Matt rooting through her underwear would be horrifying but today she found that she was grateful.

Matt climbed out of the car and chose to run up the two flights of stairs rather than wait for the lift. He'd been to Alesha's a couple of times to drop files off so he went quickly and got what she needed out of the bathroom, taking the small bag with him to the bedroom. He opened the wardrobe and grabbed a small sports holdall that was sitting at the bottom, going over to the drawers and taking the first few layers of clothes to shove inside it. He searched the top two drawers for underwear, doing his best to avoid letting his eyes linger out of respect.

He shoved the toiletries bag on top and zipped the holdall up, grabbing her iPod as well as he locked up and left.

He opened the door of the car and settled back into his seat, sinking into it as he felt the warmth on his back; the seat warmers had started to take effect. He turned and slung the holdall on the back seat.

The music was still playing and by the time Matt had parked his car in his spot in the underground car park, he could see that Alesha was weary. Reluctantly, he opened the door, knowing the noise would wake her and went round to her door. He opened it and helped her up, being even more careful now; he knew that if anything, her pain would be getting worse, not better.

He noticed her reluctance to put weight on her right leg and closed the door, shifting their bodies so that he could wrap his arm around her waist to support her. He sensed her arms were stiff though, 'How are the back of your legs?'

'Okay, I think,' her face was confused.

He slung the holdall over his shoulder so that both of his arms were free and slowly and gently scooped her into his arms.

Alesha couldn't help but be impressed by the ease with which he carried her upstairs and sat her down on the sofa.

Matt quickly got a glass of water from the kitchen and searched his jacket pockets for the bottle of pills. 'Here, take these.' He held out the water and two pills.

She did as he said with a sour look on her face. 'Okay, you need to get in the shower before you go to bed.'

He held out his hand and she took it to support herself as she rose form the sofa and hobbled into the bathroom.

She turned and looked at him when she realised he didn't have any intention of leaving her to it like she had thought he would.

He looked back and smiled, 'If you thing I'm gonna let you have a shower in this state then you've got another think coming. You'll fall asleep standing up.'

He walked over to her and she didn't have the energy to try and stop him as he carefully pulled her jumper and shirt over her head. He swiftly undid the buttons on her jeans and slid them off leaving her in nothing but a bra and knickers.

'Turn around.' Her voice was stern and he did as she said, a little amazed that he'd managed to get her this far without her forcing him out of the room.

She took off her underwear and let it drop to the pile of clothes now sat in the middle of the bathroom as she made her way into the shower, pulling the frosted door shut behind her.

Matt turned back around and tidied her clothes into a neat pile. 'Shit, I didn't get any pyjamas, you'll have to borrow something of mine.' He took her silence as agreement when the water started. He took her clothes outside and left them on the table in his bedroom searching through his drawers for whatever would fit the best. He grabbed a tight fitting long sleeved blue knit jumper, virtually the same as the one he had on, and another pair of trackies. He could roll them up. Matt returned to the bathroom to hear a noise of discomfort.

Alesha had been trying to wash her hair when her muscle had cramped. She wiggled her fingers, trying to get the arm to relax but it was no use. The stabbing sensation had travelled all the way up to her shoulder.

'You okay in there?' Matt asked, though it was obvious she wasn't.

'Yeah, it's just… cramp.'

'I'm coming in, okay?'

'No!' She was naked and she wasn't that desperate. But she couldn't stay like this all night. She sighed, 'Pass a towel.'

He did as she said, making a show of turning his head in the other direction as he opened the door to hand it to her.

She awkwardly held one corner of the towel between her chin and her chest as she tried to wrap it around her. She managed to force her arm down to her side, it was her left, and began to talk, 'Ah,' it was painful, 'I can't reach up to wash my hair.'

Matt took off his socks and opened the door to the shower, it was big so he got in, being careful not to look or get distracted by the beautiful woman standing practically naked in front of him.

Up until that point it looked like the warm water had probably helped. There was no blood left on her body, but her hair was still a mess.

'Here, turn around and give me your arm.' She painfully stretched out the arm between them and he held it in his hands, as he gently started to massage the skin. He could feel how the tight the muscle was and his hands expertly worked to loosen it, up and down the whole arm. She sighed in appreciation.

'Good?' he asked, he'd never really done this before.

'Mmmhmmm,' was all she could manage.

'I'll do some more later, but let's get you into bed first. Turn around so I can do your hair.'

He took the shower head off its hook and turned the water on. He kept the pressure low and held his hand at the front of her head so as not to let the water get into her eyes.

Matt grabbed the shampoo and squeezed a large dollop into his hand. His hands moved very gently, lathering the shampoo into her hair. His nails lightly scratched at her scalp, removing the dry blood and he was careful not to revisit any patches which made her wince.

Once satisfied that the hair was clean, her grabbed the shower head and rinsed out all the soap until it was dark and pure.

'Kay, I think you're done.'

Matt stepped out the shower and Alesha followed. He wrapped the second towel around her shoulders and lifted the clothes from their place on the radiator. 'These are the best I could find.' He left the room and returned a few minutes, satisfied she should be dry by now.

Without a word he picked up the trackies and kneeled down, holding the leg holes open for her to step into. He pulled them up under her towel and left again, telling her to put the top on and brush her teeth whilst he waited outside.

Matt went and had a drink, he was getting tired as well now. It was only a couple of minutes before he heard her light footsteps behind and he couldn't help but grin as he turned. The arms of the top covered her hands. Though he wasn't that much taller than her, she was much more slight. The trousers flopped everywhere at the bottoms and he went over and rolled both up slightly to eliminate the risk of another injury.

'I'll sleep on the sofa and you can have my bed,' he'd already laid a blanket on the massive sofa and he could sleep in what he had on so he led her to the bed, pulling back the covers for her to get in. He didn't pull the cover back over her, instead walking around to the other side to lie down.

'Turn around,' she did. It wasn't comfortable but once she had settled she was okay.

He propped himself up on his elbow as his other hand started to rub over her back, trying to relieve the stress he could feel. He gradually felt her loosen beneath him as he covered her back, neck and arms and he then heaved himself off the bed, feeling more tired every minute and gently rubbed the backs of her legs and feet.

When he'd finished he heard her soft breathing, she was asleep. He smiled at the sight and left the room, leaving the door open to keep her from waking. He settled on the sofa and felt the weight of his eyelids win as his eyes shut and he fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Matt woke with a start, abruptly sitting up and looking around to see where the scream had come from. He quickly pushed himself off the sofa and half-ran to the bedroom, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece as he went, it had just gone 1 'o clock.

She was still asleep but he could see she was unsettled. She had pulled the covers over her body at some point and so Matt sat propped up against the headboard on top of the covers as he put his hand on her shoulder and lightly pulled her around so that she was looking up.

'Lesh, hey Lesh, it's okay.'

She woke and struggled with him for a few seconds before realising who it was and clinging him close to her.

The sudden proximity startled him but he wrapped his arms around her once again, this time less aware of the pain he may be causing.

'Hey, hey, it's alright.' His voice was assertive but soothing. He was in control.

He gently loosened Alesha's grip on his jumper, uncurling the individual fingers one by one.

'No, no, don't go.' There was a desperation in her voice and Matt cursed himself for leaving in the first place. He hated seeing her distressed like this.

'It's okay, I'm not going anywhere' and he kept hold of her hand in his to demonstrate his point. Her eyes were wide, staring at him as he quickly got off the bed and pulled the covers back to get in next to her.

He managed to keep his left hand around hers as he lifted his arm to offer his embrace. Alesha all to gladly accepted, lifting her head slightly so that he could slide his arm underneath her.

Matt turned his head slightly to kiss her temple and then stayed still. Alesha lay listening to his breathing. She felt safe in his arms and it didn't take long for her to let the wave of fatigue overcome her again.

Matt was doing the same, listening to her breaths. He knew he wouldn't sleep until she did so he listened intently for the difference when she drifted into unconsciousness. Satisfied she was safe, he let his own eyes close, exhausted from the day.


	4. Chapter 4

Matt was woken by the vibration of his phone in his pocket. He'd never taken it out last night and he carefully released his hand from Alesha's grip, reaching down to see who it was. They obviously hadn't moved all night. Nine missed calls, all from Ronnie. He glanced at the clock in the top right of the screen. It was nine, James would have got into work and had a call from the police. Everyone must be worried about Alesha and when Ronnie had realised Matt wasn't going to turn up, he'd put two and two together.

Matt let the phone ring out, knowing he wouldn't be quick enough and carefully got up doing his best not to wake Alesha. He thought he had got away with it but he heard a short, sharp intake of breath as he left.

He went out to stand in front of the large window in the open plan living area and gazed out at London as he dialled Ronnie's number.

'Mattie? Oh thank God! Are you with Lesh, she alright?' The words came out in a rush and Matt rubbed his head, trying to think clearly.

'Yeah she's okay, don't worry. But I won't be coming in today, she's gonna stay at mine for a bit I think. Call James and let him know and I'll ring again later so you guys can come round and see for yourself.' His voice got quieter, 'Tell James Lesh probably won't be in for a couple of weeks but that she's okay.'

Ronnie sensed that Matt didn't want to spend anymore time on the phone so said his goodbyes and put the phone down.

Matt slid the phone back into his pocket and slowly returned to the bedroom. Alesha was now sat up, 'Hey, who was that?' She'd heard him talking.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. It was Ronnie, James got a call half an hour ago. I told Ron we'd call him later, they all wanna come and see you. I didn't really explain properly.'

Alesha sighed, she hated all the attention, 'Yeah okay, you can tell them to come after work, if that's okay?'

Matt nodded, relieved she wasn't going to be difficult about it. He leant against the doorframe and took out his phone. His fingers darted over the keys as he typed a text to Ronnie,

_Alesha's doing fine. Could u all come over tonight after work. Stay for dinner maybe? _

He knew Ron would take a while to reply so he looked up at Alesha, 'Breakfast?'

Matt made pancakes, a rarity for him, and they talked for a bit about work and stuff. There was never really an awkward moment between them, even when they sat in silence.

Matt's phone buzzed and he grabbed it from where it sat on the table next to him,

_Sounds good, George has a meeting, says he'll get an update from James tomorrow but the rest of us will all be round. See u later. X_

Matt had never really understood why Ronnie always ended his texts with a kiss but he'd managed to get him into the habit as well. He typed a reply,

_Okay, give me a buzz when you're here and I'll come down and get you. X_

Matt suspected they would need help getting to the right door, Ronnie had only been there once, but he knew he would need to explain a couple of things before they saw Alesha anyway and it would be easier to do out of earshot.

He looked up to find Alesha meeting his gaze. He smiled a soft smiled, the one that sent Alesha's heart into a small stutter, and talked, 'Ron, James and the gov will all be round later for dinner, George has a meeting…' Matt thought, 'Shit, I'll need to cook something, I'm crap.'

'I'll help,' Alesha smiled. She wasn't bad and she wanted to.

Matt gazed into space for a minute and realised he hadn't thought about her attackers since before he went in to see her. He smiled at how easily she was able to distract him and realised he really didn't care. They weren't going to get away with it, they'd be prosecuted and it was Alesha he was worried about. Best not to waste his thoughts on them. He pushed the ideas out of his mind and looked over Alesha properly.

She looked worse than she had last night. The bruises had darkened and a couple more had appeared on her face. They really had done a job on her. She looked tired as well, shadows under her eyes, but her expression lightened things. It looked as though she was feeling better, no sadness left in her eyes now.

Matt gave a sigh as he wondered what they were going to do all day. He loved spending time with Alesha, but it wasn't something they often did. Aside from the time they spent together at work, which admittedly was quite a lot, they didn't spend all that much time together. He idly thought about that, realising that she must really trust him if she was willing to shack up with a guy she barely knew indefinitely.

He pulled himself back to the reality and glance at his watch, it was coming up to ten. 'Right, in that case, we're gonna need to go shopping at some point for food, I don't think I've got much in. Other than that we've not got much to do. What do ya fancy, a day of movies, a walk, up to you really?'

Alesha smiled. There was something she liked about Matt making a fuss over her, guilty as it made her feel. She was still knackered, 'A day of movies sounds perfect.' Her smiled grew as Matt's cheeky grin appeared. He was obviously pleased at the response, or maybe he would have been pleased with any response.

'Kay, well how about we head out to the shops now and maybe stop by the rental place on the way back, I haven't bought a new movie in like 10 years.'

'Sounds good.' Alesha got up and headed back towards the bedroom to change, dabbing a few blobs of concealer and doing the best she could to cover the bruises. It didn't take long for her to realise that they were far to dark so she went to the bathroom to wash it off, frustrated now.

Her features smoothed as she looked at Matt, leaning all God-like on the front door as she came out. He smiled as she walked into view. Granted, she was still covered in dark shadows, but he'd never seen her in anything so casual; a purple v-neck jumper and jeans. She was equally pleased as she looked him over. Jeans, high-tops again and a thin grey long sleeved shirt that clung to his body in all the right places. He slipped into the same military jacket as last night and helped Alesha step into her shoes. He was still worried and couldn't help but wonder how on earth they were going to get around the supermarket. He grabbed a couple of things on his way out and supported Alesha by her waist as they hobbled to the car.

When they arrived Matt went into the shop and returned with a wheelchair. They attracted some attention but Alesha doubted anyone would give them any grief. Matt made it obvious they wanted to be left alone to anyone who looked as though they were going to offer help.

He really was hopeless. 'So what we gonna cook then?'

'Oh right, I thought you had something in mind… Umm, how about a spaghetti bolognaise, should be simple enough.'

Matt whizzed them around the supermarket as quickly as he could, picking up everything she told him to and shoving it onto the basket in her lap. He paid with his card and took Alesha back out to the car, getting rid of the chair.


	5. Chapter 5

They hobbled through the door an hour after they'd left, almost eleven. Matt was relieved she'd chosen a couple of funny films, he didn't want anything that was gonna make her (or him) cry, and he could do with seeing her smile.

He put the food away in the fridge for later and stuck The Hangover in the DVD player. After the sleeping arrangements last night, Alesha was a lot more comfortable being close to Matt, a fact which escaped neither of them. He settled with his arm along the back of the sofa and she curled her legs behind her and leant her head on his shoulders.

Alesha liked feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, falling out of it's regular rhythm when he laughed, she liked the familiar smell of his skin and she liked the warmth it provided.

Alesha felt the sharp pains as she readjusted herself every so often, and the stabbing whenever she laughed, but she ignored it. It felt good, she felt good and it was Matt she had to thank.

The movie finished around one and Matt let his arm drop down and around Alesha as he gave her shoulders a light squeeze before shifting and getting up. He stretched, stiff from the time he'd spent sat still and Alesha quickly had to blink a few times as she caught herself staring at the midriff he'd unintentionally exposed in the action.

'Do you want something to eat? Oh shit, you'd better take some pills.'

He made them both some lunch as he continued to pester her on how she felt. He asked for a rating on a scale of one to ten, one being painful, ten being never better. She gave him a six. She honestly did feel a lot better, as long as she wasn't being prodded in any of the wrong places.

Satisfied she was telling him the truth, they sat down to watch the second movie, Blues Brothers. He had to admit, he'd been surprised by her choice but she'd insisted it was one of her favourites, and he had to admit it was one of his too. He was about to push play when her felt her shiver.

'Cold?'

'No, I'm fine,' she tried to brush off his concern, though having spent half an hour away from his embrace, her skin was a little colder than usual.

He ignored the effort and headed into the bedroom, returning with his duvet in tow.

She rolled her eyes at the unnecessary gesture but gave a grin as he settled back down next to her. He shrugged out of his jacket and pulled the covers over them both, pressing play. They naturally assumed the same position as before, and Matt thought he could feel a smile on his shoulder as she leant on him again.

The weight felt nice, he sensed that she really did like having him close. When the second movie had finished and they'd exhausted the special features it was almost five, the light coming in from the window dimming. Matt flicked a few lights on and went to pull Alesha up, 'Let's get cooking.' The devilish grin appeared.

He did most of the work as Alesha sat at the counter and ordered him around. He liked the bossy tone in her voice and he asked her questions as he worked. He wanted to know more about her so he asked about insignificant details, favourite films, favourite bands, that sort of thing.

'Favourite colour?'

'Blue.' Matt turned around, puzzled by the immediate answer. She'd almost snapped at him. His eyebrows creased together but he let the smiled spread to show his bewilderment.

She ignored him but a blush appeared. 'Same,' he said slowly still confused but deciding to let it go, he could ask later. She ruled out telling him that up until a couple of days ago, the answer would have been purple. His bright blue eyes, his sleek blue car, and the many blue clothes he wore had changed her mind.

Their conversation was interrupted by the shrill of his mobile and he slid it out of his pocket.

_Just pulling up now. X_

'They're all downstairs. I'm just gonna go down and get them. Look after the food?' She nodded and smiled, 'Sure.'


	6. Chapter 6

'Hey,' Ronnie pulled him into a hug and gave him a couple of slaps on the back. It wasn't as if they hadn't seen each other just yesterday but it did feel like the moment demanded a hug. Matt greeted the gov and James and led them up to his flat. Only Ron had been there before.

As they walked Matt did his best to explain, warning them of the bruises and assuring them that she was doing okay. All three questioned why she wasn't staying with her mother but Matt told them what she had told him. Ronnie, James and Natalie managed to share a knowing look when Matt's back was turned. All three of them had wondered why on earth nothing had ever happened there, there was no doubt they had a good chemistry. Matt sensed some kind of non-verbal exchange had taken place when his gaze returned to their faces but he ignored it.

Matt gave Alesha a brief smile as they returned and studied the three's faces as they took in her state. A brief moment of shock flashed across all three but they managed to control themselves before Lesh had a chance to notice.

They all gave her a hug and Matt couldn't help but wince with her each time they squeezed in the wrong place.

'Smells good,' Ronnie remarked. Matt let out a short laugh as he went over to inspect. He finished the cooking and let them get the worry out of their systems, shooting Alesha a sympathetic smile.

They sat down to eat and Alesha sat next to Matt, keeping relatively close. Ronnie nattered on about insignificant things as they ate and told a few stories. No one knew where they all came from. Matt had begun to suspect he made half of them up. It seemed ridiculous that he should have one suitable for every occasion.

They spent the rest of the evening chatting and laughing together, it felt good to have a bunch of familiar faces around. The time flew and when it reached ten, they all sat down to watch the news quickly before clearing out. Both Matt and Alesha noticed, and chose to ignore the suspicious looks they got from everyone as they settled into their _normal _position. Matt supposed they must really look like a couple, but it wasn't like that, not yet anyway.

Matt left Alesha on the sofa watching a mindless sitcom whilst he went off the have a shower. He washed his hair and dried off as soon as possible. It worried him slightly to leave her alone and as a result, when he returned, there were a few small darkened patches on his shirt where he hadn't dried off properly.

When he came to sit back down, Alesha couldn't help but notice and she had to snap herself out of a daydream again as she realised she'd been staring. His sleeves were rolled up to just below the elbow, emphasising the strength of his arms.

'Your turn,' he said as he slumped back into the sofa with a sigh. 'Do you want any help?'

'No, I'll be fine.'

'Kay, give me a shout if you need anything.'

She slowly walked in the direction of the bathroom. The hot water against her skin felt just as good as last night and no cramp this time. She didn't sit back down. The warmth of the shower had only made her more weary and she thought she'd probably just fall asleep if she did. Alesha was right, she fell asleep as soon as she'd got into the bed.

Matt turned to look behind him. The water had been off for a while now as Alesha hadn't returned so he got up to investigate. He smiled as he neared the bedroom and heard the sound of her soft, steady breathing. Satisfied that she was warm enough he grabbed the blanket on the way out and headed for the sofa.


	7. Chapter 7

Matt had hoped she would be okay but tonight was the same as the night before. He was woken by a scream and a mumbling of _get away from me._ He rushed into the room to comfort her and rolled her round to face him. 'Shhhh… it's okay, you're alright.' He curled his arms around her and wiped away the tear that had been rolling down her cheek. The same as the night before, he held her hand as he got up and into the bed. Alesha was embarrassed, she was long past the age where she should need someone to hush her back to sleep after a nightmare. Matt somehow managed to ease the feeling though, not even a hint of annoyance in his soft words.

As Matt lay there waiting for Alesha to fall back asleep he thought about their semi-ridiculous situation. There was no doubt it wasn't normal. Two thirty-somethings sleeping in the same bed, but so far without any romantic involvement. Matt focused on the _so far_ in that sentence. He wasn't going to push her, he would let her make the first move, but he really did hope she felt the same.


	8. Chapter 8

Alesha was first to wake up this time and she lay still for a few minutes, content. She stared at the expression on Matt's face. She was still curled up in his arm and he looked calm, serene.

His eyes fluttered for a few seconds and he looked down curiously to meet Alesha's gaze, 'You're watching me sleep,' he stated, simply. She felt the blood rush to her face though it didn't show.

'Yeah, I didn't want to wake you.' The truth, but not the whole truth. Matt did his routine stretch and got up. The moment ended too soon for both parties. By the time Matt had been to the loo and washed his hands, Alesha was sat at the counter waiting patiently for breakfast. He walked straight over to her and took her face in his hands. Alesha felt her heart quicken at the sudden proximity and looked away from his eyes as he studied her.

The bruises had started to lighten slightly, she was past the worst. He took her arm in his hand and pressed gently on a couple of the bruises, 'How do you feel?'

'Fine.'

'One to ten?' He asked for the second time.

'7 and a half.' Matt grinned.

'Good,' he got on with breakfast.

Alesha had to admit she was impressed with his domestic skills. He wasn't perfect but it was a hell of a lot more than she had been expecting. He was better than he gave himself credit for really, he knew how to look after his guests. Alesha found herself wishing it was just because it was her but she knew she was being stupid.

Matt had been told to take as much time off as he needed to look after Alesha so they had another day with nothing to do.

'What would you like to do today?' he asked.

Alesha hated making all the decisions, she was intruding on his life, not the other way around. 'You choose today.'

'Hmm… I actually wouldn't mind doing the same as yesterday. But if there's something you'd rather do-'

'No. That sounds good. I still feel quite tired anyway.' As she spoke she studied the early morning stubble on his face. It suited him, a lot, but she couldn't help think it was a crime to let anything cover those perfectly sculpted cheek bones of his. It was slightly weird seeing him with it though, he was always so smooth, so clean cut.

Their day went pretty much the same as yesterday. They snuggled up together on the sofa, with Matt asking questions at any chance he had.


	9. Chapter 9

When it got to about eleven, they were both ready for bed. Both showered and Alesha went and got into bed. Matt silently wondered whether it would be easier for him to just start in there with her rather than them both waking up in the night. He liked that idea but ignored it, he would leave it up to Alesha though he suspected she wouldn't ask.

He went in to see that she was settled down and Alesha looked at him for one long moment. She couldn't force her eyes away from the silhouette propped against the doorframe. She wanted to tell him how she felt, what she wanted from him. She desperately wanted him to take it well though, she was screwed if he turned around and kicked her out of the flat, she still didn't like being left alone, she wasn't sure she would ever like it now.

'Matt,' she was still looking into his eyes, though the only light was coming from the light in the hall, 'I need to tell you something.'

'Mmhmm…' he waited patiently. Alesha shuffled around so that she was now facing him as she sat cross-legged on the bed. She patted the space in front of her.

Matt cautiously came to lie down in front of her, propping his whole body up with his arm. She shook her head slightly as she was distracted by the toned muscle of his arms.

'I…I…' she struggled with what she wanted to say and realised there was only one way she would be able to tell him how she felt.

She lifted her right hand to cup it around his neck and pulled her towards him slightly. He stared at her lips, anticipating what was coming.

Alesha gently pressed her lips to his, just for a few seconds. Her lips parted slightly as she broke away, and she kept her eyes closed for a couple of seconds longer savouring the moment.

She looked up to see Matt looking down. He looked confused but she could see the unmistakable twinkle I his eyes as he looked back up at her, 'I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that. Could you-'

She cut him off with another kiss. This one was slightly deeper, and lasted a short while longer. Matt's free hand came up to stroke her face, moving and resting at the base of her neck. Hers played in his hair as his stubble tickled her face slightly. She smiled as she pulled away, he felt the same.

He grinned. Alesha didn't really have to think about it anymore, she was in love with him. She had been for a while now but she'd suppressed the feelings with the aim of making things easier for both of them. She wasn't going to tell him though. She knew what Matt was like, scared of commitment and all that. She didn't want to freak him out before anything had really happened.

Matt didn't ask tonight, he got into the bed without a word and they settled next to each other. He changed his position slightly; he slipped his arm under her head once again, but this time he lay her hand on his chest, resting his own on top. A simple gesture, but a romantic one she thought.

She took a minute to think about their situation again. It had changed slightly, now they were a _couple _she supposed, in bed together, that hadn't yet slept together _in that way_. That prompted another thought, maybe she was wrong about Matt and the commitment thing. He's been committed to her over the last few days, no doubt about that, but that wasn't the only thing. The fact that he hadn't pushed for anything more, the fact that they were sleeping together, but not _sleeping together, _made her think twice. There was something about the gesture that made her think, maybe he wasn't as much of a ladies man as he led people to believe. She wasn't ready anyway though, physically or mentally. She was still bruised and sore, her body still hurt under pressure and she needed a little longer to get used to the intimacy, she wasn't usually one to have sex on the first date, though she wasn't sure those were really the right words to describe the situation.

She felt comfortable lying in his arms though, and that could only be a good thing. Alesha slept dreamlessly that night, the best night she had had since the attack. She didn't wake up, even as Matt left the bed.

Matt had got a call as he sat down to watch the morning news, it was Ronnie again. Matt ignored the probing questions, he could tell Ronnie thought there was something between them but Matt wasn't sure what was happening himself yet. He assured Ronnie that they were both okay and that he should be back to work soon and put the phone down. He would never admit it but Matt suspected Ronnie was missing him, the feeling was mutual.


	10. Chapter 10

Alesha didn't wake for a while. 'What's the time?' she asked as she walked into the light of the living space. She scrunched her eyes and rubbed her neck.

'Eleven.'

'Woah, eleven hours.' She knew she'd been out a while, she was stiff again.

Matt got up, a mischievous grin taking its place. Alesha was getting a glass of water from the tap as he walked up behind her silently and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her neck and let her turn around to face him, letting her lips reach his.

'You look like you could do with another massage.' He took her hand in his and pulled her over to the sofa, gently pushing her down so that she lay on her front. He knelt on the floor and started rubbing gently, still aware of the light shadows on her bare skin.

He lifted her top slightly this time and let his hands slide up her smooth back.

'Do you look after all your guests this well?' Matt smiled to himself and kept his eyes on his hands.

'Only the special ones.' Alesha smiled and hoped that he wasn't lying.

Another minute passed, 'You know we should really go out today. We could both do with the fresh air.'

Alesha smiled again, he didn't seem like the walking type. Alesha was beginning to think that pretty much all of her observations had been wrong.

When they'd both finally got dressed they headed out the door. Alesha marvelled once again at the sight of him and he did exactly the same. He was wearing another thin long sleeved top. He left all the buttons undone, leaving enough of his chest showing that Alesha's eyes stopped there for a moment before continuing. He was wearing another military style jacket, similar to the other one but this was black. Her eyes fell to the blue jeans, and then the boots, no high tops today. His hair was carefully messy and he'd shaved now, his prominent jaw and cheek bones much more clear.

She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with converse trainers. She didn't usually wear them but it was what she had been wearing during the attack and they seemed like the most comfortable things to wear considering she was still limping slightly. Her short black double-breasted coat was done-up but Matt caught sight of the purple v-neck jumper underneath before she wrapped a scarf around her neck. It was his favourite colour on her.

Matt took Alesha's hand as soon as they were outside and they walked to a nearby park. They spent the afternoon walking and talking. Alesha wanted to know more about Matt now and by the end of the afternoon it felt like there wasn't anything either of them didn't know about the other.

They got home and Matt called Ronnie to update him. They'd got a new case and Ron said they needed him back though he suspected he was just missing him again.

They settled to watch some reality show that neither of them were really interested in. Matt held Alesha's hand in her lap and sat, content with staying there all night.

Alesha needed to tell him how she felt, she couldn't keep her feelings to herself forever and if Matt wasn't going to stick around, it was probably better he kicked her out sooner rather than later. She turned to him and leaned in.

The kiss was long and deep. Alesha was the first to pull away. She let her forehead rest against Matt's and took in a deep breath. He raised his eyebrows at the reaction and held her face in his hands in front of him.

'I love you,' Alesha whispered, maintaining eye contact. Matt pulled their heads further apart and looked into her eyes, searching for any sign she was joking. She pulled him towards her again and kissed him, running her hands through his soft hair.

'I love you too.' Matt said the words without thinking them. They were true. Thinking back to the night of the attack, he realised there was no other explanation for his panic. He loved her.

He grinned. That was the first time he'd ever said the words to a woman and meant them. 'I love you.' He said the words again, he liked the sound.

He kissed her again and it grew much deeper now. Alesha lay down on the sofa, pulling her with him. Her fingers moved down to the bottom of his shirt as he knelt above her. With one slick movement she pulled the top over his head and dropped it to the floor. Her heart was racing, but in a good way. She wasn't scared.

Matt struggled to drag his thoughts away from the lips on his and the body so close, to the bigger picture. He pulled back from the kiss and made eye contact again. 'Are you sure.' She knew what he meant.

She just smiled and pulled his face back to hers. He took that as a confirmation and returned to kissing the woman he loved.


	11. Chapter 11

Alesha was the first to wake. She lay in Matt's arm with her own draped over his chest. She pushed herself up onto her elbow and looked at him for a moment, just watching him sleep. Then slowly, and carefully, she lifted her free arm to his face, tracing his features. She started with a long line down the centre of his face and then moved to his eyes and mouth.

He remained still though Alesha could tell he was awake. He looked relaxed and at ease, his lips curving into what was only a very slight smile. When she was done with his face she let her fingers move down to his bare chest. He really was ridiculously fit. She traced over the contours of his perfectly toned stomach, and around his belly button.

When she'd finished she let her hand lay on the top of his chest and watched him for a couple more minutes.

'Watching me sleep?' His eyes stayed closed, but the light smile still played around his lips; it was more of a grin now.

'Sorry, I'll leave you, go back to sleep.' She turned and began to get up.

She hadn't realised quite how awake he was. He turned onto his side and pulled her down onto her back again, curling his arm around her this time, 'Don't do that.' His eyes were open now and he looked straight at her, she was looking up at the ceiling.

'How do you feel?' he whispered the words.

'Perfect.'

She smiled as she acknowledged the comforting weight of his arm on top of her, the soft blow of his breath on her neck, the warmth and scent of having his body so close. She smiled and let out a breath, she felt perfect.

**Thank you so much for reading. Hope you enjoyed it **** Please review x**


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